The Worst Thing about Your Parents Being Vampires
by mywildimagination
Summary: Renesmee gets her period. Who guides her through this important event when her mother can't?


"Oh, crap," I muttered to my bed.

When I woke up that morning, I wondered if I'd wet my bed, even though I'd never done that in my life, or even knew what it felt like. Then I realized that I was covered in blood.

I groaned. It was official, then. I had my period. Though I'd never talked about it with my mom or anyone, I'd watched enough movies and read enough books to know what it was. I guess you could say that it was kind of dumb that no one had ever bothered to tell me, but time, especially for me, runs fast. Two years ago I surprised Mom by asking her to take me bra shopping. That was also awkward. But this would be even worse.

Why did it have to involve _blood_, of all things? My parents were vampires, for crying out loud!

My parents.

"Dad!" I called. I didn't know why I was calling him. I didn't want either of them in here, holding their breath, trying to help me when it was already awkward enough for me.

Strangely, nobody answered. Then I realized that there was a note on my dresser.

_Renesmee,_

_Your mother and I are out hunting. We might not be back by the time you awaken, so if you have, you may go down to the main house if you wish._

Thank my lucky stars. I sighed, relieved. Then a new problem arose. What was I going to do? Who could I talk to? Where would I find some . . . feminine hygiene stuff?

My first thought was Aunt Rose. She was like my other mother, if I ever had one. But how would she be any better than my real mom? Esme, Alice . . . no help at all. Come to think of it, if Alice had ever had a period, she certainly didn't remember it. My vampire family would be no help at all. Jacob? I cringed at the thought. Carlisle was, after all, a doctor, but it would be so weird with him.

Everyone ruled out but . . . Leah. Why not? She wasn't so bad to be around. Who else did I have to go to?

So I would go to La Push. I'd been there a few times, to werewolf functions and such, where no regular humans would notice. I'd been down to the Clearwaters' all of one time, but I was pretty sure I knew the way.

I frowned at my bedsheets. What would I do with them? Certainly not sit here, soaking in blood, for my parents to find. I looked around for a washing machine. It was weird, but I guess we never used one. What little washing we did, we did at the main house (that's what we called it to discriminate from our cottage and the house all the other Cullens lived in). I would have to use the Clearwaters'.

Quickly, I changed into some clean clothes and stuffed some toilet paper in my underwear (I was actually even surprised I found that). I could hardly keep my limbs from shaking. This would be awkward, asking Leah for help, but it would be better than disconcerting a coven of vampires.

I stuffed my clothes and bedding into a duffel bag and left the house. All the cars were at the main house, and so I'd have to run. It was frustrating to have to slow down once I got into the neighborhood, and I'm sure I got a couple of head turns from people, but I didn't stop until I was at their doorstep.

I stared at the door disconcertingly. I decided that I should probably knock. Seth answered the door, being on summer break from Washington State University.

"Whoa - uh, hey, Nessie," he muttered, wearing no shirt and some comfy pajama pants. "What're ya doing here?"

"Could - could I talk to Leah for a minute?" I whispered, horrified.

He gave me a weird look. "Um . . . yeah. Leah!" he called, letting me in.

"Is Mom here?" came the reply from upstairs.

"No, it's Nessie," he said. "Can she talk to you for a minute?"

There was a pause. "I'll be right down."

"Your mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, um . . . she was out late last night. Um . . ."

Oh, Volturi's wrath. She wasn't sleeping over at Charlie's, was she? I patted his shoulder, too embarrassed to ask aloud.

"Uh . . . probably."

I bit my lip. As if this wasn't already awkward enough!

Leah came down, and, in a sick way, kind of rescued us. Now we could talk about getting periods instead of their mom having a physical relationship with my grandpa. I felt like I was crawling into a hole.

She was dressed in sweatpants and a sports bra, with her hair pulled up into a ponytail. "You rang?"

"I . . . uh, could I use your washing machine?"

"Sure," she answered, lifting an eyebrow. But she got the idea that I wanted Seth out of the picture.

So did Seth. "I'm going for a walk," he said, and left.

Leah coolly showed me to the washing machine and how to use it. When I finally unzipped the duffel bag, I muttered, "I got my period."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence. I just dumped bloodstained bedding into the washer.

"How do your parents . . . you know," she finally said.

"They were out hunting."

"Lucky."

"Yeah."

"Well . . ." she sucked in a breath. "We don't really have anything you can use . . . I don't really, uh, need that stuff anymore -"

"You don't?" I asked, surprised. And then I realized why. "Oh."

"Unless you want tampons?" she asked. "That's all my mom uses."

I flinched at the mention of her mom. "I, ah . . ."

"It's okay," she said. "We can go out and get you stuff while the wash is going."

"Thank you," I said.

"Yeah, no problem."

Another awkward silence.

"I guess it would be kind of weird," she said, "asking your family for help."

"I consider you family."

She dropped the detergent in surprise. Some powder spilled, and she had it swept up and back in the box before I could say "Mostly, anyway."

"Sorry," she muttered. "I guess I . . . wasn't expecting that."

"Me either," I said. "I don't know where that came from."

"PMS," she answered, and we both snorted.

We left for the La Push grocery store. We were mostly silent on the way, save for a few exchanges.

When we got to the feminine hygiene section, she gave me a few tips on handling periods and stuff. "Each cycle will be different as you go along," she said. "Soon you'll get into the routine, know what you'll need when, and so on. I guess right now you'll be fine with a couple things of pads and some panty liners."

I was grateful for her advice, especially when I realized I couldn't pay for them myself, having forgotten to bring money.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "You're family."

If it was Alice or Esme saying that, she probably would have winked. But I guess it wasn't her style. She just said it like it was fact. And it was. We'd both known it all along.

"I understand how you feel," she said on the way back. "I felt pretty awkward when my periods _stopped_ coming. And it was even worse when the whole pack had to go through it with me."

I nodded. "Well, at least you're not stuck with it for the rest of eternity."

She smiled sadly. "I would give a lot to be you."

Well. That was kind of flattering. "Why?"

"In a few years, you'll be with Jacob," she sighed. "You'll have children and be happy. Don't you realize that you're the only non-human female in the world that can have children? If only I could be human again . . ."

I felt blood rushing to my cheeks. "Well, I'm not the _only_ one. Nahuel's sisters -"

She cut me short with a don't-be-a-smart-alleck glare.

"I'm just saying, don't be so upset about it." She gave me a pitying look. "In a few years, it'll be worth it all. You don't even have to wait as long as humans do. You're luckier than you think."

I sighed. "Thanks, Leah."

She shrugged.

My blackberry rang. "Crap," I muttered, knowing before I looked at caller ID that my parents were calling.

"Hi," I answered timidly.

"Nessie," Dad said, "you had us scared half to death!"

I snorted.

"Well, yes, not technically, but where have you _been_?"

"At the Clearwaters'." I answered.

"Why?" I could hear the surprise in his voice.

I explained quietly about my . . . monthly gift.

"Oh. Er, should I . . ."

"No, don't worry. I'll walk home."

"Be careful."

"Yeah, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too . . ."

I hung up.

Leah smiled. "I'll see you later, Ness."

"Bye."

I started to run, then skidded to a stop. I could tell she was surprised when I came back and hugged her by her sudden stiffness. After a few moments, she relaxed and put her arms around me too.

"Thanks," I said again.

"Um, yeah," she said as she broke off our embrace. "Jake'll be psyched to see you like _this_ every month," she muttered.

I blushed furiously. "Later, Leah."

"See ya."

I hurried back to the main house, grateful to be able to pick up speed once I left La Push. I was only a few yards from the door when I stopped and groaned.

I'd forgotten my bedding.


End file.
